Former referee, Willie Young, was the referee supervisor when Madjid Bougherra manhandled referee Calum Murray at Celtic Park last month.
In 2005 after Neil Lennon barged referee Stuart Dougal and received a three match suspension, the same Willie Young said, “In such circumstances, where there is physical confrontation with an official, [the SFA] should be considering a five-match suspension”.
Dougal, who has been a media ever-present in recent months when the subject of refereeing is heard, said of Neil’s three match punishment, “This was about the future protection of Scotland’s referees and that’s where the feeling of disappointment comes in”.
Ally McCoist, assistant to then Scotland manager Walter Smith, wrote in his Daily Record column, “When I heard the news of his three-match suspension, with no additional points added to his disciplinary record and a return date that puts him in line to play against Hearts on October 15, I was surprised to the point of being staggered by the SFA’s leniency.”
“If I was the match official involved I would feel I had been let down by my employers at the SFA.
“Before anyone is narrow-minded enough to think I’m speaking as a former Rangers player, let me nail that one to the wall straight away.
“If Fernando Ricksen had clashed with Dougal at Ibrox in an identical manner, I would have advocated the same, heavier sentence for him too. This is about the punishment fitting the crime and nothing to do with allegiances.
“Whatever I have to say about Lenny’s case is the opinion of someone trying to be an objective journalist. And someone who, as part of Walter Smith’s coaching team, is trying to think of what’s best for Scottish football.
“If Lennon had been given a five game ban on Tuesday night at his Hampden hearing I’d have said that was a real result for him.”
In summary:
We have the referee supervisor Willie Young at the “Shame game” calling for a five match suspension for “physical confrontation with an official”.
Former referee and now media contributor, Stuart Dougal, has a “feeling of disappointment” at a three match suspension for a Celtic player for the same offence, adding the issue was “about the future protection of Scotland’s referees”.
Rangers assistant manager, Ally McCoist, making it clear that “before anyone is narrow-minded enough to think I’m speaking as a former Rangers player”, saying, “If Lennon had been given a five game ban on Tuesday night at his Hampden hearing I’d have said that was a real result for him.”
And as we discussed yesterday, SFA chief executive Stewart Regan, has said, “Only a matter of months after our referees withdrew their labour, we had to witness the match official, Calum Murray, being manhandled, while another player who had been dismissed brazenly walked to his own supporters in defiance.”
So why no ban from the SFA?
Where is the outcry from the refereeing community when Rangers players and the SFA lead a horse and cart through their attempts to protect officials?
In 2005 after Neil Lennon barged referee Stuart Dougal and received a three match suspension, the same Willie Young said, “In such circumstances, where there is physical confrontation with an official, [the SFA] should be considering a five-match suspension”.
Dougal, who has been a media ever-present in recent months when the subject of refereeing is heard, said of Neil’s three match punishment, “This was about the future protection of Scotland’s referees and that’s where the feeling of disappointment comes in”.
Ally McCoist, assistant to then Scotland manager Walter Smith, wrote in his Daily Record column, “When I heard the news of his three-match suspension, with no additional points added to his disciplinary record and a return date that puts him in line to play against Hearts on October 15, I was surprised to the point of being staggered by the SFA’s leniency.”
“If I was the match official involved I would feel I had been let down by my employers at the SFA.
“Before anyone is narrow-minded enough to think I’m speaking as a former Rangers player, let me nail that one to the wall straight away.
“If Fernando Ricksen had clashed with Dougal at Ibrox in an identical manner, I would have advocated the same, heavier sentence for him too. This is about the punishment fitting the crime and nothing to do with allegiances.
“Whatever I have to say about Lenny’s case is the opinion of someone trying to be an objective journalist. And someone who, as part of Walter Smith’s coaching team, is trying to think of what’s best for Scottish football.
“If Lennon had been given a five game ban on Tuesday night at his Hampden hearing I’d have said that was a real result for him.”
In summary:
We have the referee supervisor Willie Young at the “Shame game” calling for a five match suspension for “physical confrontation with an official”.
Former referee and now media contributor, Stuart Dougal, has a “feeling of disappointment” at a three match suspension for a Celtic player for the same offence, adding the issue was “about the future protection of Scotland’s referees”.
Rangers assistant manager, Ally McCoist, making it clear that “before anyone is narrow-minded enough to think I’m speaking as a former Rangers player”, saying, “If Lennon had been given a five game ban on Tuesday night at his Hampden hearing I’d have said that was a real result for him.”
And as we discussed yesterday, SFA chief executive Stewart Regan, has said, “Only a matter of months after our referees withdrew their labour, we had to witness the match official, Calum Murray, being manhandled, while another player who had been dismissed brazenly walked to his own supporters in defiance.”
So why no ban from the SFA?
Where is the outcry from the refereeing community when Rangers players and the SFA lead a horse and cart through their attempts to protect officials?
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